Fort Wayne Fire Department (FWFD) hosts the Seventh Annual Fort Wayne/Allen County Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service at 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Law Enforcement/Fire Fighters Memorial of Allen County, 1000 North Wells Street. We will be honoring 16 Firefighters who died in the line of duty serving Fort Wayne and Allen County.
This year's speakers include:
- James Greeson, State Fire Marshal, Indiana Department of Homeland Security
- Tom Hanify, President, Professional Fire Fighters Union of Indiana
- Chief Pete Kelly, Fort Wayne Fire Department
- Family Members of Fallen Firefighters
The ceremony usually lasts about one hour and will include recognition of the 16 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Fifteen of the firefighters who died were serving the Fort Wayne Fire Department. One firefighter, Harry Stapleton, was serving the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department, now part of Southwest Fire District.
These firefighters are listed below along with the year in which they died. They are:
- Joseph Bahlinger, 1924
- William Bandt, 1928
- John Fleischman, 1916
- Thomas Hazelett, 1936
- Henry Hilbrecht, 1925
- William Himmelein, 1936
- Louis Hensel, 1910
- Fredrick Hilsman, 1871
- Edgar Miller, 1952
- Michael Rager, 1972
- Harry Stapleton, 1975
- Raymond Steup, 1948
- Laverne Strodel, 1947
- Joseph Talarico, 1952
- Roscoe Wehr, 1931
- Charles Winkelmeyer, 1908
